This invention relates generally to a film bonding method and an apparatus for performing such a method, and more particularly to a method of and apparatus for thermocompression-laminating a laminate film (thin sheet), composed of a photosensitive resin layer and a light-permeable resin film, onto a board for a printed wiring.
There is already known, for example, from Japanese Laid- Open (Kokai) Patent Application No. 85927/85 and West German Patent No. 3334009, a method in which boards for printed wirings are conveyed by a roller conveyor or the like, and a laminate film is continuously cut into a length corresponding to the length of the board and is bonded thereto.
However, in the above conventional film bonding apparatus, a pair of upper and lower compression bonding rollers are fixedly provided at a film bonding position at a path of feed of the board. Therefore, a film feed member is moved near the film bonding surface of the leading end of the board so as to provisionally bond or retain the leading end of the continuous film to the film bonding surface, and then the film feed member is moved away from the film bonding surface of the board. Thereafter, the board with the film provisionally bonded thereto must be moved to the position of the compression bonding rollers. If the board (particularly where the board is thin) is curved during this movement of the board, there has been encountered a problem that the film provisionally bonded to the board is separated from the board.